In the manufacturing of a modern piece of electronic equipment such as a flat panel display, circuits may be fabricated on a component substrate of the flat panel display. In order to check whether, these circuits have open circuits or other defects, the substrate must be tested using a testing apparatus.
FIG. 3 shows a conventional testing apparatus 1. The testing apparatus 1 includes a probe station 11, two micropositioners 12 and 17, a frame 14, a holding arm 15, and a microscope 16.
The probe station 11 includes a working surface 111 and two opposite side surfaces 112. The working surface 111 is a horizontal plane utilized for supporting a substrate (not shown) to be tested. The working surface 111 defines a Z-axis perpendicular to the working surface 111, an X-axis perpendicular to the Z-axis, and a Y-axis perpendicular to the Z-axis and the X-axis. The side surfaces 112 are perpendicular to the working surface 111. Two runners 113 parallel to the Y-axis are defined at the two side surfaces 112, respectively.
The micropositioner 12 is located on the working surface 111 at an edge portion thereof, and includes a probe 13 utilized to test circuits of the substrate. The micropositioner 17 is identical to the micropositioner 12, is placed on the working surface 111 at another edge portion thereof, and includes a probe 18. The micropositioners 12 and 17 can move on the working surface 111 to test circuits at different places of the substrate.
The frame 14 includes two upright poles 141, and a horizontal connecting pole 142 interconnecting the upright poles 141. A bottom end of each upright pole 141 can slide in the corresponding runner 113, so that the frame 14 can move back and forth along the Y-axis. The holding arm 15 is attached on the connecting pole 142, and is utilized to hold the microscope 16. The holding arm 15 can move the microscope 16 back and forth along the connecting pole 142.
In use of the testing apparatus 1, the probes 13 and 18 can work separately or cooperatively. The microscope 16 is used as a tool for a user to observe whether the testing locations of the probes 13 and 18 are correct.
The testing apparatus 1 has some disadvantages. Firstly, because only one microscope 16 is mounted on the probe station 11, the testing locations of both probes 13 and 18 cannot be observed through the microscope 16 at the same time. Secondly, when the size of the substrate is large, the user cannot observe through the microscope 16 and operate the probes 13 and 18 at the same time. Thirdly, the microscope 16 is generally an expensive item that inflates the cost of the testing apparatus 1.
What is needed, therefore, is a testing apparatus which can be conveniently used and which has a relatively low cost.